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Crime Files #5
The End of the Dream: The Golden Boy Who Never Grew Up
Four best friends comprised of an artist, a musician, a sculptor and a nature-loving performer, all came together to build the ultimate bachelor pad and fun house in the secluded Washington evergreens. With their natural wit and charm, they had no trouble getting friends and women to come to their treehouse and have the time of their lives. What no one knew was that this group of men also ran a small crime ring and robbed banks throughout the state, all under the spell of their unofficial leader Scott “Hollywood.” Scott manipulated everyone around him and once the secrets hiding within the treehouse were revealed, police and the FBI were shocked to find evidence of murder, drugs, suicide and millions of stolen dollars. It all came down to a deadly shootout in the trees and all was revealed and paid for one way or another.
423 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 1, 1998
2008 people are currently reading
2906 people want to read
About the author
Ann Rule
141 books4,531 followersAnn Rule was a popular American true crime writer. Raised in a law enforcement and criminal justice system environment, she grew up wanting to work in law enforcement herself. She was a former Seattle Policewoman and was well educated in psychology and criminology.
She came to prominence with her first book, The Stranger Beside Me, about the Ted Bundy murders. At the time she started researching the book, the murders were still unsolved. In the course of time, it became clear that the killer was Bundy, her friend and her colleague as a trained volunteer on the suicide hotline at the Seattle, Washington Crisis Clinic, giving her a unique distinction among true crime writers.
Rule won two Anthony Awards from Bouchercon, the mystery fans' organization. She was nominated three times for the Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. She is highly regarded for creating the true crime genre as it exists today.
Ann Rule also wrote under the name Andy Stack . Her daughter is Goodreads author Leslie Rule.
She came to prominence with her first book, The Stranger Beside Me, about the Ted Bundy murders. At the time she started researching the book, the murders were still unsolved. In the course of time, it became clear that the killer was Bundy, her friend and her colleague as a trained volunteer on the suicide hotline at the Seattle, Washington Crisis Clinic, giving her a unique distinction among true crime writers.
Rule won two Anthony Awards from Bouchercon, the mystery fans' organization. She was nominated three times for the Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America. She is highly regarded for creating the true crime genre as it exists today.
Ann Rule also wrote under the name Andy Stack . Her daughter is Goodreads author Leslie Rule.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 205 reviews
June 19, 2018
So this was a welcome take from Rule's usual look at murderers and serial killers. Rule looks at the backstory behind a man who was responsible for robbing 17 banks in the Seattle area over a period of four years back in the 1990s. I weirdly found myself completely taken in by Rule's recounting of the childhood and later life of the man whose plan it was to rob banks, Scott Scurlock.
"The end of the Dream" talks about two families who were apparently destined to live in each other's pockets, the Scurlocks and the Meyers. Both families ended up settling in Reston, VA and from there two of the boys, Scott Scurlock and Kevin Meyers would be life long friends who seemed to follow each other all over. Rule obviously interviewed members of both families and from Kevin you start to get a sense that he realized that over time something in Scott became bent.
Scott seemed more intent on making sure he didn't have to work a "straight" job. He eventually moved from Virginia, Hawaii, and then to Washington State. While in Washington state he started to become a meth dealer.
I wondered while reading how so many people obviously realized that something (not legal) was going on with Scott, but ignored all of the red flags that were being thrown up. I do laugh at Rule though, she always describes these people as being handsome, attractive to women, etc. and I saw pictures of Scurlock and just kind of shrugged.
When Rule goes into the rift that eventually happens between Kevin and Scott, and how Scott pulls in Kevin's brother and another long-time friend to start robbing banks you start to realize that this story is not about to have a happy ending.
Scott's plan to rob banks seemed pretty smart, but he obviously had a spending problem that needed fixed. Rule at one point asserts that he spent something like $300,000 in one year. Though you may start to have sympathy at a certain point for Scott, the way he treats women and others around you will start to turn you off. He seemed to have a sixth sense on how to draw people in and have them owe him favors.
I thought Rule did a great job of showing the backstory to Steve Meyers (Kevin's brother) and Mark Biggins. These last two men Rule doesn't skimp on details. Both men get into bank robbing because they want their daughters to have a better life. I would of course respond that they would probably prefer their dads not doing something illegal.
Rule eventually gets to the tragic end of Scurlock and what happens to Meyers and Biggins. The book does falter in the end a bit as if Rule didn't quite know how she wanted to tie this up.
Rule provides details on the police which I would happily have preferred to be left out. I didn't care about the police hunting the robbers. It ended up reading as filler after a while and ruined the flow depicting Scurlock's chronology along with everyone else.
"The end of the Dream" talks about two families who were apparently destined to live in each other's pockets, the Scurlocks and the Meyers. Both families ended up settling in Reston, VA and from there two of the boys, Scott Scurlock and Kevin Meyers would be life long friends who seemed to follow each other all over. Rule obviously interviewed members of both families and from Kevin you start to get a sense that he realized that over time something in Scott became bent.
Scott seemed more intent on making sure he didn't have to work a "straight" job. He eventually moved from Virginia, Hawaii, and then to Washington State. While in Washington state he started to become a meth dealer.
I wondered while reading how so many people obviously realized that something (not legal) was going on with Scott, but ignored all of the red flags that were being thrown up. I do laugh at Rule though, she always describes these people as being handsome, attractive to women, etc. and I saw pictures of Scurlock and just kind of shrugged.
When Rule goes into the rift that eventually happens between Kevin and Scott, and how Scott pulls in Kevin's brother and another long-time friend to start robbing banks you start to realize that this story is not about to have a happy ending.
Scott's plan to rob banks seemed pretty smart, but he obviously had a spending problem that needed fixed. Rule at one point asserts that he spent something like $300,000 in one year. Though you may start to have sympathy at a certain point for Scott, the way he treats women and others around you will start to turn you off. He seemed to have a sixth sense on how to draw people in and have them owe him favors.
I thought Rule did a great job of showing the backstory to Steve Meyers (Kevin's brother) and Mark Biggins. These last two men Rule doesn't skimp on details. Both men get into bank robbing because they want their daughters to have a better life. I would of course respond that they would probably prefer their dads not doing something illegal.
Rule eventually gets to the tragic end of Scurlock and what happens to Meyers and Biggins. The book does falter in the end a bit as if Rule didn't quite know how she wanted to tie this up.
Rule provides details on the police which I would happily have preferred to be left out. I didn't care about the police hunting the robbers. It ended up reading as filler after a while and ruined the flow depicting Scurlock's chronology along with everyone else.
January 3, 2021
I had high hopes for this book because I’ve loved pretty much everything else I’ve read by Ann Rule but this one just fell WAY flat for me. I didn’t feel invested in any of the cases and that made it a drag to get through because I didn’t particularly care what happened. The first and longest story was especially difficult to get through. It was just so LONG and pretty damn boring and I REALLY couldn’t have cared less. I know that sounds terrible because these are real crimes that people suffered through but usually Rule has such a way of bringing murder and crime cases to life with her writing and I felt that was missing in spades from this book.
November 24, 2012
The end of the dream is a title which in this case applies to the criminal, not the victims.
Rule fills in the blanks that we read in newspapers or web sites about these stories. In doing so, she humanizes the criminals to the point that I think some readers may misplace their sympathies and feel sorry for these bad people. I don't believe she herself is on the side of the monster, but she wants to show how the cops bring them down, and also show how the victims suffered without going into extraneous and salacious detail. She includes as victims the relatives of victims and the cops themselves, sometimes. As far as the criminals are researched, it appears Rule wants to find out what happened to them in their life to bring about their criminal activity, as well as to educate the public in their methods in conducting their crimes.
It is clear that while many criminals are clearly deranged or depraved, drug-or-alcohol addicted, others appear as normal as our bosses and best friends, and easily fit in comfortably in any social situation. Their general normality seems to seduce friends and family into helping the criminal either through misplaced sympathy or lack of perspective. The seduction happens over time, so that eventually these deluded friends may actually cover up murders and rapes because of their inability to separate their liking or loving of the criminal from their knowledge of what the bad person is doing. Perhaps the adages of 'love the sinner, hate the sin' may add to the clouding of intelligent reasoning. Rule clearly is not a person of clouded judgement. She shows over and over that a criminal that cries for his own situation or trouble is yet not a person capable of feeling sorry for anyone else. Unfortunately, many people can't help but respond to the criminal's sorrow as if it were remorse, instead of the grief for being caught that the tears are actually about. Women in particular fall victim to a criminal's pretty face, attention and evil power, thinking some of that either will rub off because of proximity or that they will enjoy ultimate protection by being near, not understanding he or she can turn that evil on them.
Scott 'Hollywood' Scurlock was a pretty face who seduced everyone around him. No one outside his inner circle had any idea he was capable of armed robbery of banks all around Seattle, Washington. Wearing a variety of disguises, taking charge of his partner's and the bank teller's activities throughout the robbery, he stole so much money at so many banks he broke records. He seemed to know so much that the police began to think he must be a cop. The friends he worked with were convinced he was basically a good man. His good looks and affection was enough to convince lonely and greedy people to follow his leadership. I think also the fact Scott surrounded himself with a false generosity, adopting a kind of family life hijacked by inviting the brothers of a real family to share his residence (even while he kept his own privacy by living in separate quarters), by sharing his bed with a succession of girlfriends, and keeping himself fit and healthy and smart, added to his cloak of normality. Any incidents which occurred, instead of adding up to a pattern of scary pathological behavior for these 'close' friends, were simply minor aberrations they ignored.
As usual, Rule includes three other short stories. In one, the victim could not possibly know something bad was going to happen to her. She was as innocent of a victim as it's possible to be. In another, the victim is a person of an incredibly impoverished emotional life, so desperate for love and affection, so lacking in education, resources and self-respect, that she
The criminal people Rule writes about are always interesting and instructive to learn from. They often are not sleeping in alleys, but in your house. While sometimes there is absolutely no sign of anything wrong, in most cases there are signs all over the place, but people intentionally make every effort to put a normal face over the craziness because of either affection or financial considerations. They believe in doing so they will save their children, their middle-class lifestyle, their relationship, their job - but all they succeed in doing, if anything, is putting off the disaster for awhile.
Rule fills in the blanks that we read in newspapers or web sites about these stories. In doing so, she humanizes the criminals to the point that I think some readers may misplace their sympathies and feel sorry for these bad people. I don't believe she herself is on the side of the monster, but she wants to show how the cops bring them down, and also show how the victims suffered without going into extraneous and salacious detail. She includes as victims the relatives of victims and the cops themselves, sometimes. As far as the criminals are researched, it appears Rule wants to find out what happened to them in their life to bring about their criminal activity, as well as to educate the public in their methods in conducting their crimes.
It is clear that while many criminals are clearly deranged or depraved, drug-or-alcohol addicted, others appear as normal as our bosses and best friends, and easily fit in comfortably in any social situation. Their general normality seems to seduce friends and family into helping the criminal either through misplaced sympathy or lack of perspective. The seduction happens over time, so that eventually these deluded friends may actually cover up murders and rapes because of their inability to separate their liking or loving of the criminal from their knowledge of what the bad person is doing. Perhaps the adages of 'love the sinner, hate the sin' may add to the clouding of intelligent reasoning. Rule clearly is not a person of clouded judgement. She shows over and over that a criminal that cries for his own situation or trouble is yet not a person capable of feeling sorry for anyone else. Unfortunately, many people can't help but respond to the criminal's sorrow as if it were remorse, instead of the grief for being caught that the tears are actually about. Women in particular fall victim to a criminal's pretty face, attention and evil power, thinking some of that either will rub off because of proximity or that they will enjoy ultimate protection by being near, not understanding he or she can turn that evil on them.
Scott 'Hollywood' Scurlock was a pretty face who seduced everyone around him. No one outside his inner circle had any idea he was capable of armed robbery of banks all around Seattle, Washington. Wearing a variety of disguises, taking charge of his partner's and the bank teller's activities throughout the robbery, he stole so much money at so many banks he broke records. He seemed to know so much that the police began to think he must be a cop. The friends he worked with were convinced he was basically a good man. His good looks and affection was enough to convince lonely and greedy people to follow his leadership. I think also the fact Scott surrounded himself with a false generosity, adopting a kind of family life hijacked by inviting the brothers of a real family to share his residence (even while he kept his own privacy by living in separate quarters), by sharing his bed with a succession of girlfriends, and keeping himself fit and healthy and smart, added to his cloak of normality. Any incidents which occurred, instead of adding up to a pattern of scary pathological behavior for these 'close' friends, were simply minor aberrations they ignored.
As usual, Rule includes three other short stories. In one, the victim could not possibly know something bad was going to happen to her. She was as innocent of a victim as it's possible to be. In another, the victim is a person of an incredibly impoverished emotional life, so desperate for love and affection, so lacking in education, resources and self-respect, that she
The criminal people Rule writes about are always interesting and instructive to learn from. They often are not sleeping in alleys, but in your house. While sometimes there is absolutely no sign of anything wrong, in most cases there are signs all over the place, but people intentionally make every effort to put a normal face over the craziness because of either affection or financial considerations. They believe in doing so they will save their children, their middle-class lifestyle, their relationship, their job - but all they succeed in doing, if anything, is putting off the disaster for awhile.
March 3, 2023
Reality Checks In
A true story about friends and their loyalty to each other. The "main brain" had a contagious sense of adventure and when he decided to rob a bank, he wasn't kidding at all. So, they became criminals who pushed their luck all the way. And they learned how very wrong they had been. It's a different story than usual, I guess. The narrative reads very nicely.
A true story about friends and their loyalty to each other. The "main brain" had a contagious sense of adventure and when he decided to rob a bank, he wasn't kidding at all. So, they became criminals who pushed their luck all the way. And they learned how very wrong they had been. It's a different story than usual, I guess. The narrative reads very nicely.
February 9, 2017
*The End of the Dream: Scott Scurlock (aka Hollywood), bank robber, Seattle 1992-1996
*"The Peeping Tom": the murder of Kay Owens, Salem OR, 197
*"The Girl Who Fell in Love with her Killer": Granite Falls WA, 1973 ("Barbie Linley," 15, was raped, shot three times in the head, and left for dead in a ditch. By some terrible miracle she survived . . . only to fall in love with and marry her rapist/nearly-murderer before his trial)
*"An Unlikely Suspect": King County WA, 1974 (the murder of "Vera English" by her 14 year old stepson)
Scott Scurlock is also the subject of an episode of The FBI Files , which I watched yesterday. Because I'm interested in storytelling, it was fascinating for me to watch the very different ways this story was presented. The FBI Files is, of course, all about the investigators and the investigation; Rule, although also interested in the investigators and the investigation (it was honestly awesome to be able to watch her protagonists being interviewed, to fit their voices and faces together with her descriptions), gives equal focus, and considerably more words, to the bizarre career of Scott Scurlock, from mildly wild boy in Virginia, to beach bum in Hawaii, to methamphetamine chemist in Washington State, to bank robber. (For some reason, The FBI Files describes him as a local actor, which he was not--or, at least, not in any legitimate sense.) Along the way, he built (or had his friends build for him) the "biggest treehouse in the world." Rule emphasizes the way that Scurlock used and discarded friends and lovers alike, and the way he absolutely destroyed the lives of his two accomplices, Mark Biggins and Steve Meyers. (Steve Meyers' brother, artist Robert Meyers, clearly gave generous interviews.) The FBI Files doesn't really care why Scurlock did what he did. Rule does, and she does her best to diagram out the reconstructed thought processes of someone who ticks off a bunch of items on the Hi! I am a Sociopath! list.
The shorter pieces in this book show how hard true crime writing actually is; the less space you have, the less you can create narrative tension, the less your story has any sense of payoff. And I don't mean that in a "good triumphs over evil" way, but simply structurally. The stories are all kind of flat, even when the events themselves are almost unbelievable. (A fourteen-year-old boy, wanted for murder, driving his victim's car, making it all the way from Washington State to Florida? A fifteen-year-old girl surviving being shot in the head three times, and then marrying the guy who shot and raped her?) This may be where being a gifted prose stylist can be your saving grace. Rule is a good and compelling writer, but she doesn't have the élan to her writing that William Roughead does, or Jonathan Goodman when he's on a roll. (Goodman is evidence that one can also have too much style to one's prose, but that's a different problem.) I'll reread Roughead, and Goodman's better pieces, simply for the pleasure of reading them, and that's not something I can say about Rule.
*"The Peeping Tom": the murder of Kay Owens, Salem OR, 197
*"The Girl Who Fell in Love with her Killer": Granite Falls WA, 1973 ("Barbie Linley," 15, was raped, shot three times in the head, and left for dead in a ditch. By some terrible miracle she survived . . . only to fall in love with and marry her rapist/nearly-murderer before his trial)
*"An Unlikely Suspect": King County WA, 1974 (the murder of "Vera English" by her 14 year old stepson)
Scott Scurlock is also the subject of an episode of The FBI Files , which I watched yesterday. Because I'm interested in storytelling, it was fascinating for me to watch the very different ways this story was presented. The FBI Files is, of course, all about the investigators and the investigation; Rule, although also interested in the investigators and the investigation (it was honestly awesome to be able to watch her protagonists being interviewed, to fit their voices and faces together with her descriptions), gives equal focus, and considerably more words, to the bizarre career of Scott Scurlock, from mildly wild boy in Virginia, to beach bum in Hawaii, to methamphetamine chemist in Washington State, to bank robber. (For some reason, The FBI Files describes him as a local actor, which he was not--or, at least, not in any legitimate sense.) Along the way, he built (or had his friends build for him) the "biggest treehouse in the world." Rule emphasizes the way that Scurlock used and discarded friends and lovers alike, and the way he absolutely destroyed the lives of his two accomplices, Mark Biggins and Steve Meyers. (Steve Meyers' brother, artist Robert Meyers, clearly gave generous interviews.) The FBI Files doesn't really care why Scurlock did what he did. Rule does, and she does her best to diagram out the reconstructed thought processes of someone who ticks off a bunch of items on the Hi! I am a Sociopath! list.
The shorter pieces in this book show how hard true crime writing actually is; the less space you have, the less you can create narrative tension, the less your story has any sense of payoff. And I don't mean that in a "good triumphs over evil" way, but simply structurally. The stories are all kind of flat, even when the events themselves are almost unbelievable. (A fourteen-year-old boy, wanted for murder, driving his victim's car, making it all the way from Washington State to Florida? A fifteen-year-old girl surviving being shot in the head three times, and then marrying the guy who shot and raped her?) This may be where being a gifted prose stylist can be your saving grace. Rule is a good and compelling writer, but she doesn't have the élan to her writing that William Roughead does, or Jonathan Goodman when he's on a roll. (Goodman is evidence that one can also have too much style to one's prose, but that's a different problem.) I'll reread Roughead, and Goodman's better pieces, simply for the pleasure of reading them, and that's not something I can say about Rule.
Read
March 1, 2010Scott Scurlock, aka "Hollywood", the notorious Seattle bank robber used to live in a three-story treehouse not far from my home. I remember seeing him out and about in Olympia years ago, and have heard mostly fond or funny memories from friends he hung out with and women he dated. So it was interesting to read Ann Rule's take on his personality; his narcissism, his sense of entitlement, and his adrenalin-driven life are characteristics, that Rule uses to shake out this true-crime story. She does a meticulous job of piecing together his background, his love of travel, adventure, his charisma and gourmet tastes. Even so, I can't help but feel (perhaps due to proximity and testimonials) that a part of Scurlock's essence is missing. An engrossing read for true-crime fans.
March 19, 2017
The title story in this collection is so over-written and repetitive, I gave up on it about a quarter of the way through. I like Ann Rule's writing but this dragged on, even for her. It could've been edited down to fifty pages or so and it would've been much better for it.
The remaining tales were okay, though "The Girl Who Fell in Love with Her Killer" could've been expanded and better written to explain more about why the girl in question did what she did. Very little of her motivation was explained, and what is mentioned isn't enough.
Overall, there are better books by Rule.
The remaining tales were okay, though "The Girl Who Fell in Love with Her Killer" could've been expanded and better written to explain more about why the girl in question did what she did. Very little of her motivation was explained, and what is mentioned isn't enough.
Overall, there are better books by Rule.
August 31, 2018
Not my favorite true crime Ann Rule book. I think I prefer murder stories over bank robberies. And this was 90% full of bank robbery. I didn’t find that portion all that interesting. Greed doesn’t fascinate me. But the really short last three stories were right up my alley. I was completely skeeved out by the terrible people in those cases.
March 29, 2024
Ann Rule takes us through four cases revolving around seductive dreams which must be inevitably woken from by their dreamers, whether it be striking it rich as bank robbers, finding love and stability, or chasing adventure on the open road.
This is an unusual collection from Rule, considering the main case revolves around a group of bank robbers and does not involve murder at all. As such, we end up with more of a character study in this story, which is a real change of pace from her usual work. While I enjoyed it, I wondered if it needed to be a book-length case.
I liked all of the three short cases at the end of the book - the last one is satisfyingly bizarre.
This is an unusual collection from Rule, considering the main case revolves around a group of bank robbers and does not involve murder at all. As such, we end up with more of a character study in this story, which is a real change of pace from her usual work. While I enjoyed it, I wondered if it needed to be a book-length case.
I liked all of the three short cases at the end of the book - the last one is satisfyingly bizarre.
December 12, 2015
True that all forms of crime destroy dreams. At first I thought I was reading a fiction book but upon discovery that William Scott Scurloct was a real person, somehow I felt sorry for him. Some people never fit in no matter what they do. Like they state this empty hole inside that never fills up. Yes, Scott was a sociopath, a sociopath loved by everyone but who never felt anyone's pain. That is the cause of crime in our society - insatiable desire and Hollywood emulation. It's a book that I recommend to young adults in our current society.
October 13, 2011
I liked this story line (of the featured case). It was different than the usual murder plots that Ann Rule writes about but I found my self bored at times because she was saying the same things over and over again in the featured case! She could have cut off 100 pages and still had a good or possibly better book. At least her writting style make for a quick read so the 100 extra pages are tolerable!
July 30, 2008
her books are always about a hundred pages too long for me..but i did love this one.
October 27, 2013
this was my favourite ann rule book of all time.... There was nothing about the court case it was all about the crime.
January 31, 2016
I couldn't even finish this one. She just goes on and on about what a wonderful person this killer could have been, if only. That's hardly the point. He's thrown away a lot more than his own life!
May 19, 2022
Very detailed! I found the first story a bit too long and the other stories way too short.
January 15, 2023
This true crime book had a main case followed by a few other shorter cases at the end. After getting quite engrossed in the main story, I found it difficult to get into such short accounts and therefore didn’t really find them necessary to the book. Bearing in mind this is an old true crime book which says ‘and other cases’.
That aside, it wasn’t a twisted murder type of cases that the author usually writes about, but rather a bold crime and I did find it very interesting. Ann Rule understands the importance of looking at the background and psychology of someone- this is what gives true crime accounts the depth and exploration the reader craves. The nuances, behaviours, friendships, character flaws; an insight into the motivation behind the crime. I found that aspect of things interesting as well as the gradual brewing of the perfect storm. It does go quite into the background with nothing major happening for a while, but I quite enjoyed that as this book really did serve to bring the story to life.
Perhaps not her best but enjoyable all the same.
That aside, it wasn’t a twisted murder type of cases that the author usually writes about, but rather a bold crime and I did find it very interesting. Ann Rule understands the importance of looking at the background and psychology of someone- this is what gives true crime accounts the depth and exploration the reader craves. The nuances, behaviours, friendships, character flaws; an insight into the motivation behind the crime. I found that aspect of things interesting as well as the gradual brewing of the perfect storm. It does go quite into the background with nothing major happening for a while, but I quite enjoyed that as this book really did serve to bring the story to life.
Perhaps not her best but enjoyable all the same.
March 11, 2013
I love all of Ann Rules books, but this one in particular aroused my curiosity because the boys/men originally met in Reston, where I grew up & because when it was all over some of them went on to be productive citizens. That said, I found this account of what happened to be a well written and an accurate account of detail, like all other Ann Rule books.
January 8, 2012
For the 1st hundred pages I thought I would never finish. However, I really did get into the book and almost rated it higher. I enjoy crime books and this was a true crime book which makes it even more involved.
October 11, 2011
The three short cases at the end of the book were better than the long one, which had way too many unnecessary details.
November 26, 2020
"He could draw or paint anything, but he needed a year to read a book..."
One of Ann Rule's best "portraits of crime" is her study of Scott Scurlock. I must admit that I find Scurlock's story endlessly amusing, and not at all because I approve of his conduct. It's not a life I find attractive, but I do find it compelling in the sense that for Scott there was always something important happening, whether in sex, drugs, money, or crime. Scott's life include very little in the way of "down time." I don't think rest and relaxation was ever a motivation for him. It's the constant activity that is somehow impressive, even when deadly.
"Scott had to be outside..."
The family was filled with vitality. Constant movement, frenetic energy. You can easily imagine Scoot asking, "where's the action here?" The up-scale community of Reston, Virginia was the perfect launching pad for Scott's endless sense of adventure. According to Rule, Scott was the author of the "outrageous twist" to planned events. He began his life of crime as someone who robbed delivery guys. You've seen the videos on social media. Someone drops off a package and an unknown strangers relieves the occupants of their delivery, all on film because of upgrades in home security. But so what? If you can't be home, who says your property can't be lifted?
"We'd steal a cherry pie..."
Scott did not come from a broken home, refuting the statistical data that suggests crime is the gift of broken home lives. Instead of remaining in their hometown, Scott and company, of course, made for that tropical paradise called "Hawaii." There he built a wonderful tree house with the benefit of land ownership. But it served its purpose.
"The Hollywood Bank Robber"
The final shoot out in the backyard, in a trailer, with smoke and guns blazing. Gotta love it.
One of Ann Rule's best "portraits of crime" is her study of Scott Scurlock. I must admit that I find Scurlock's story endlessly amusing, and not at all because I approve of his conduct. It's not a life I find attractive, but I do find it compelling in the sense that for Scott there was always something important happening, whether in sex, drugs, money, or crime. Scott's life include very little in the way of "down time." I don't think rest and relaxation was ever a motivation for him. It's the constant activity that is somehow impressive, even when deadly.
"Scott had to be outside..."
The family was filled with vitality. Constant movement, frenetic energy. You can easily imagine Scoot asking, "where's the action here?" The up-scale community of Reston, Virginia was the perfect launching pad for Scott's endless sense of adventure. According to Rule, Scott was the author of the "outrageous twist" to planned events. He began his life of crime as someone who robbed delivery guys. You've seen the videos on social media. Someone drops off a package and an unknown strangers relieves the occupants of their delivery, all on film because of upgrades in home security. But so what? If you can't be home, who says your property can't be lifted?
"We'd steal a cherry pie..."
Scott did not come from a broken home, refuting the statistical data that suggests crime is the gift of broken home lives. Instead of remaining in their hometown, Scott and company, of course, made for that tropical paradise called "Hawaii." There he built a wonderful tree house with the benefit of land ownership. But it served its purpose.
"The Hollywood Bank Robber"
The final shoot out in the backyard, in a trailer, with smoke and guns blazing. Gotta love it.
May 11, 2019
Ann Rule's books have not disappointed me yet... but this was definitely the closest to it!
After reading several of Ann Rule's books detailing the lives of killers, I was interested to see her take on a different type of crime. The End of the Dream seemed to be the perfect choice because it dealt with bank robbery rather than murder and chronicled the live of a criminal who operated near to my home during my childhood.
In all honesty, it is Ann Rule's ability to capture the the lives, crimes, and personalities of those who she rights about that saves this book. Her subject, Scott Scurlock aka "Hollywood", really was not that interesting of a man to me. While his ability to get away with crime was pretty incredible, the bad life path that he chose to take seemed to be a bigger part of his story. It is sad to see that this man who could've done so much instead threw his life away to drugs, crime, and other pursuits which left him hollow. Though I did not find his story particularly interesting, I believe that Rule did a wonderful job of creating a picture of the man for all of the readers.
I am eager to do a little more research on Seven Cedars (which also happens to be the name of a Washington Casino now) and see whether or not the treehouse structure is sill standing. Perhaps I will take a field trip to Olympia in the near future!
After reading several of Ann Rule's books detailing the lives of killers, I was interested to see her take on a different type of crime. The End of the Dream seemed to be the perfect choice because it dealt with bank robbery rather than murder and chronicled the live of a criminal who operated near to my home during my childhood.
In all honesty, it is Ann Rule's ability to capture the the lives, crimes, and personalities of those who she rights about that saves this book. Her subject, Scott Scurlock aka "Hollywood", really was not that interesting of a man to me. While his ability to get away with crime was pretty incredible, the bad life path that he chose to take seemed to be a bigger part of his story. It is sad to see that this man who could've done so much instead threw his life away to drugs, crime, and other pursuits which left him hollow. Though I did not find his story particularly interesting, I believe that Rule did a wonderful job of creating a picture of the man for all of the readers.
I am eager to do a little more research on Seven Cedars (which also happens to be the name of a Washington Casino now) and see whether or not the treehouse structure is sill standing. Perhaps I will take a field trip to Olympia in the near future!
September 14, 2019
The main story in this book is about Scott Scurlock. He robbed 20 banks within a few years before he was caught. He built an elaborate tree house in Washington State where he lived and was popular with the girls with his good looks and athletic body. His friends would help him rob the banks and he would give them a small cut. He used the money to live on and when the amount got low, he would go ahead and rob another bank. He was nicknamed “Hollywood” by the media because he would wear heavy makeup to disguise himself. Although he would rob with a gun, he didn’t use it. He gambled some of the money to launder it so that serial numbers would not be found on him. I enjoyed this story very much. It was different than most of Rule’s books, which were often about murderers. However, it was very well written and as I was reading the book, I was amazed how easily he got away with his robberies and for so long. He manipulated his friends to help him and often they were reluctant because they knew the danger of being caught and possibly injured during the bank robberies, but Scott seemed to have Lady Luck on his side for a long time.
June 30, 2018
A friend of mine recommended this series to me when she saw I was reading some nonfiction about criminal psychology, and though I've never really read True Crime, I picked this installment in the series up from a library sale when it caught my eye. I suppose I have mixed feelings about it, but it was certainly engaging. I doubt I'll be methodically picking up Rule's other works, but this was an interesting, in depth look at one case, with short explorations of another, and the detailed research was certainly impressive.
In the end, I'll probably continue sticking mostly to psychological thrillers that are wholly fiction and to nonfiction that deals heavily with psychology and only wanders into casefiles, but I'm glad I at least tried this, and I may try more if particular cases catch my interest. For what it is, I'd say this is probably a 4 star read, though for me personally it's probably closer to a 3.
Recommended If you're interested in true crime and/or bank robberies.
In the end, I'll probably continue sticking mostly to psychological thrillers that are wholly fiction and to nonfiction that deals heavily with psychology and only wanders into casefiles, but I'm glad I at least tried this, and I may try more if particular cases catch my interest. For what it is, I'd say this is probably a 4 star read, though for me personally it's probably closer to a 3.
Recommended If you're interested in true crime and/or bank robberies.
May 31, 2020
The book-length lead story is about bank robbers. There was way too much back story to suit me. While the prose held my interest, the story was over-length, going way back in to childhood years. Did it help to understand all that? I'd say not really. In the end, the bad guys were bank robbers. Who cares that they had feelings, dreams, likes, dislikes, loves, and people who loved them? They were bank robbers. For anyone whose ever had items stolen, I'm sure they in no way feel sorry for a theif or the consequences thereof. It's true crime, yes, and a bit different than the usual murder stories Ms. Rule tells. But it was a bit on the boring side, and definitely not a book length story. The three short stories that follow were much more interesting, with the final short telling the stupidest reason this reader has ever heard for killing someone.
October 8, 2019
I thought that I had read all of Ann Rule's books, including this one. However, as I got into the story, I realized that I had somehow overlooked this book when it came out in 1999. So I was initially excited to find a "new" book by one of my favorite true crime writers. Unfortunately, it was a slow moving read. In fact, I found myself skimming pages at a time due to redundancy and an overall tepid plot. There are so many miscreants like Kevin and Scott out there- the prisons are full of them: smart guys with no conscience who turn to selling drugs and robbery because they think that they can play the system without having to work normal jobs. To her credit, Ann obviously did a ton of research in writing this 432 page book.
July 27, 2019
Another great read. Ann Rule never disappoints. What a sad tale of charmed lives that went from enormous talent to desperato. The twisted tale of a sociopath that took down so ma y and left them in his same. A man without empathy nor a conscience. Ann beautifully paints the picture of Scott and how he lived his life on the edge and without a care in the world for anyone but what he was interested in. I would recommend this book and all Ann's books to all true crime finances like myself.
Can't wait for the next book. Another kuddos to the Seattle FBI and all the crime fighting task forces that were involved in this case and all cases Ann Rule writes about.
Can't wait for the next book. Another kuddos to the Seattle FBI and all the crime fighting task forces that were involved in this case and all cases Ann Rule writes about.
February 16, 2021
I have written a more lengthy review of Ann Rule's work, tagged to the book, "You Belong To Me".
This book is so smoothly written for a non fiction account of true crime. Ann Rule possesses a rare magic to compose a narrative that rivals the best fiction writers. Her stories flow as if characters out of a story, the things they do so familiar, the monsters they meet so unreal and shocking in their violence and maddness...Then we remember that these stories are true, they are about regular, average, every day people, who saw a monster in real life.
This book intrigued me, and it was one of the first cases I read front to back. Some of the things seemed so obvious I wanted to yell at the police through the pages, as if our justice system would respond to my tantrum and change. It was frustrating but educational. It was violent, sad, gruesome...and necessary to read.
The whole of society would like to turn away from the ugly things human beings do to each other. However, the apathy in turning away has become the very thing to perpetuate the violence.
We lost the author a couple of years ago, and I sincerely hope there is someone there to pick up the torch. Ann Rule was a voice to many women missing, murdered, abused, lost. She was their voice, the record keeper, the historian. A torch in the night reminding us that justice, balance is needed for us to continue as a species.
This book is so smoothly written for a non fiction account of true crime. Ann Rule possesses a rare magic to compose a narrative that rivals the best fiction writers. Her stories flow as if characters out of a story, the things they do so familiar, the monsters they meet so unreal and shocking in their violence and maddness...Then we remember that these stories are true, they are about regular, average, every day people, who saw a monster in real life.
This book intrigued me, and it was one of the first cases I read front to back. Some of the things seemed so obvious I wanted to yell at the police through the pages, as if our justice system would respond to my tantrum and change. It was frustrating but educational. It was violent, sad, gruesome...and necessary to read.
The whole of society would like to turn away from the ugly things human beings do to each other. However, the apathy in turning away has become the very thing to perpetuate the violence.
We lost the author a couple of years ago, and I sincerely hope there is someone there to pick up the torch. Ann Rule was a voice to many women missing, murdered, abused, lost. She was their voice, the record keeper, the historian. A torch in the night reminding us that justice, balance is needed for us to continue as a species.
June 20, 2022
My favorite Ann Rule book
I've read all of Ann Rule's books, and this one stays at the top of my favorites. As the epilogue stated, we just don't want it to be over. She may very well have created this genre (per epilogue) however, even she would agree that Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood", written in 1965 & 1966 (New Yorker Magazine, then in book form) was the very first of its kind.
That being said, this particular story truly is a tragic irony and Rule wrote so well, one feels that they've nearly lived through it, at least I did, each time I read this story. Every time I purchase a new non-fiction crime novel, I wish Ann was writing the story, she is sorely missed.
I've read all of Ann Rule's books, and this one stays at the top of my favorites. As the epilogue stated, we just don't want it to be over. She may very well have created this genre (per epilogue) however, even she would agree that Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood", written in 1965 & 1966 (New Yorker Magazine, then in book form) was the very first of its kind.
That being said, this particular story truly is a tragic irony and Rule wrote so well, one feels that they've nearly lived through it, at least I did, each time I read this story. Every time I purchase a new non-fiction crime novel, I wish Ann was writing the story, she is sorely missed.
June 4, 2024
The main story The End of the Dream was truly disturbing. For one simple reason. There just didn't seem to be a reason for the crimes. Scott S seemed to have it all, brains, looks, opportunity. He was in school to be a doctor and then just took a different route. Ann Rule describes him as a Sociopath, and I guess that would explain it. He just didn't care that what he wanted to do was illegal or that people might get hurt. The story like all of Ann Rule's was fascinating and disturbing at the same time. I have read a couple other stories by Ann Rule and will read more in the future. If you like True Crime she is a master.
July 9, 2024
This is my second time reading this book, and I feel like I enjoyed it even more the second time around. There is the main story that the book starts with (the bank robber known as "Hollywood") and then a few true crime short stories afterwards. I just watched a documentary about Scott Scurlock, which made me want to read this again. All of the short stories afterwards use pseudonyms, even for some of the bad guys. One of the bad guys was released from prison, and I googled him to find out who he really was. Well, well, well. Looks like he ended up murdering another person years later (William James Thomas - murdered Kay Fenning Owens back in 1971, and then Laura Lee Culbertson in 2004).
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